How to Build a Foundation of Competence and Customer Trust

We become credible when we become proactive in helping our customers.

You can make active choices to build credibility, but in the end it’s customer perception that has the final say.

This blog continues our series on The 7 C’s of Successful Sales Hunting

What do your customers believe?

We all think we’re credible, but it’s irrelevant what we think. What do our customers believe?

Would you buy from a salesperson who you didn’t deem as credible?

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We don’t buy stuff just for the sake of buying, but because it’s going to help us with something and has a level of credibility.

We and our products both have to be credible. So what are we doing to help ourselves? “Hey, I’m going to do what I say I’m going to do.” That’s the bare minimum. That’s too easy.

Credibility is going past what is expected.

When a product you buy delivers more than you expected, you suddenly have a lot more confidence in that product. When a salesperson does more than you expect them to, it increases their level of credibility with you.

It makes the relationship, the transaction, the potential for additional sales much easier. We have to go past what is expected.

When was the last time you engaged a customer in a conversation that got both you and the customer thinking? To me, that’s creating credibility because you’re willing to go the extra mile.

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Product knowledge isn’t paramount.

You might think, “Well, if I don’t know my product, how can I talk about my product?” Yes, credibility is in the knowledge that you have about your product, but it’s much more than that. If you wait until you’re the master of all things, you’ll never undertake a sales call.

Credibility is not about knowing everything about your product. It’s knowing just enough to be able to have a conversation and occasionally say, “Hey, I don’t have the answer, but I’m going to get back to you by this afternoon,” and by that afternoon you deliver it in the promised time frame.

In fact, exceed their expectations by getting it back before you even said you would. I may never have the answers to everything, but I’m going to demonstrate to the customer that I will find the answers.

Plus, I’m going to ask you questions that are going to challenge your thinking, because ultimately we’re going to come up with a better solution.

via Animanias on GIPHY

Referrals, reviews and reputation matter.

Sometimes I can’t deliver what you’re looking for, and I’ve got to refer you to somebody else. Credibility includes bringing in that subject matter expert to help the customer.

Are your customers speaking positively about you when you’re not around? Are they giving you referrals? Or when you ask for referrals, do they willingly give you referrals?.

You’re not credible if you’re not getting referrals, testimonials, or reviews.

If those are the outcomes you desire, start by doing more than what is expected.